


The Call of the Wild

by Pilotgirl101



Category: Avatar (2009)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28026507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pilotgirl101/pseuds/Pilotgirl101
Summary: Kida Olson never fit in. Growing up she was enthralled with nature that her dying planet was lacking so when given the opportunity to travel to Pandora she took it. Now she has to navigate between a lying best friend and a cold-hearted general as she fights to protect the planet as she couldn't protect her own.
Relationships: Tsu'tey te Rongloa Ateyitan/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I am currently on a break from University but the course I am studying is very full-on and doesn't leave much time for writing so I'm not going to promise to update consistently. That said I will try and write whenever I get the chance so please just bear with me!
> 
> I really appreciate any criticism you may have cause I want to try and improve my writing so any comments you can give will be welcome. This story does contain swearing and possibly some more mature themes later on in the book, I will put a warning at the beginning of those chapters in case those sorts of things make anyone uncomfortable.
> 
> I do not own James Cameron's Avatar all rights go to its creators!
> 
> Edited.

The inside of my little pod glowed a faint blue, the only light I could see within the opaque walls of my container. My eyes focused in on droplets of water floating lazily above me, likely sweat from sometime during the trip, I tried not to let it gross me out. My memory was hazy for a moment, my time asleep clouding my mind but the floating moisture above me made it all slot back into place. I was on Pandora, or at least almost on Pandora. I'd been in cryo for what was supposed to be the last six years after leaving Earth behind to come and study the moons fauna, and now I was finally here.

It was said you didn't dream in cryo at least that's what the briefing the scientists had given us said. The briefing room had been buzzing with anxiety and excitement as they informed us of what the trip to the faraway moon, Pandora would be like. I was just glad to be leaving our own rapidly decaying planet behind. There was nothing left for me there.

Coming out of cryo was not dissimilar from waking up from a long night's sleep. Only you didn't feel rested, it was more like waking up the day after a good beating sore and stiff and still completely exhausted.

I could remember fleeting sensations from my time asleep, a hazy dream slowly slipping further and further from my grasp until all that was left were vague impressions; soothing emotions, the wind rushing around my body, a hand softly caressing my face as a forehead pressed gently against my own. A warm flicker remained alight in my chest that calmed the uneasy rolling in my stomach as the cryo chamber extended out of its port in the wall.

My throat felt like sandpaper and the light overhead was torture on my eyes that had been resting in darkness for the past five years. My hand instinctively shot up to try and block the harsh light but I found it trapped under the restraints. It was only then that I noticed the weightlessness as my body floated up off the bed to press into the straps holding me down. I started to look around noticing other pods extending out of the wall the ship slowly starting to wake up and come alive.

One of the techs floated over my way, hovering over top of me so he could check my vitals and undo the restraints. "Are we there yet?" I asked softly my voice thick and slightly scratchy after years without use. The tech smiled down at me gently as he tugged off the last strap, "yeah sunshine, we're there."

He moved off quickly to assist others as I floated off out of my bed. A loud voice reverberated around the room, "you've been in cryo for five years nine months and, twenty-two days. You will be hungry, you will be weak." My stomach clenched painfully at the thought of food but I shook it off, for the time being, it would get some food soon enough.

There were rows of lockers in the centre of the room, each holding a generic bag housing all our personal items along with a few ration bars and a bottle of water. I found mine almost opposite my link pod, engraved into the metal. The techs kindly asked us to wait until we were loaded onto the transport ships, the Valkyries, to start consuming our rations. Something about water and food not mixing well with zero gravity.

I turned my head back and forth searching among the hoards of people for the familiar face of my best friend, both of us having taken the journey together. But there were too many people milling around as most people were released from their cryo pods making their way towards the lockers. I sighed out softly, resigning myself to wait until we reached the surface to search for my friend.

We had been told that the ship had limited storage space for personal belongings so only the essentials were to be packed, everything else would be provided once we reached the surface. I hadn't had much in the first place, my life having been rather abysmal up to only a few years prior, so I packed some clothes and a few sentimental items I knew I would miss on my long stay on the moon. Everything else was left behind.

We were shuffled quickly out of the transport room and into some form of half-rate change room to swap out our scrubs for something a little more professional. I stared at my reflection in the mirror on the wall as I ran my fingers through my hair, the long red locks tangled after so much time without maintenance. My skin was dry and slightly sunken from the trip but my eyes were as vibrant as ever the bright hazel green standing out against my pale skin. I looked like a mess but what can you expect when you've been in medically induced stasis for almost six years.

Putting on my own clothes was somewhat therapeutic, there was something about taking off the scrubs helped me shake away any lingering fatigue from the journey. I was desperate for a shower but unfortunately, that would have to wait until later. Right now I had a shuttle to catch.

We were all settled into the Valkyries, as I had recently learned they were called when the artificial gravity kicked in. It left my head spinning at the sudden weight pressing down on my body and I leant over slightly to quell the dizziness. You will never truly appreciate the weight of gravity on your body until you have been without it. A hand gently placed itself on my shoulder as the dizziness began to subside and I tensed at the unexpected contact.

My muscles tensed, a buried fighting instinct tearing through me as I reached up to grab the offending limb in a vice grip. My head snapped up to face whoever it was that had thought it was a good idea to put their hands on me, regardless of the fact it was obviously meant to be a soothing gesture, ready to lash out at them but stopped short.

A soft face was gazing back at me with dark hair cropped short in a military-style cut and bright blue eyes peering down into my own. It appeared I wouldn't have to wait to find my friend after all. My muscles uncoiled and the scathing remark died on the tip of my tongue as his concerned stare bore into my own rapidly cooling look, a shaky smile replacing the hostile glare.

Jake Sully had been my friend for years. He saved my life in Venezuela just days before his own life-changing injury and we'd wound up in recovery together in the hospital. We supported one another through everything both fully aware of the demons the other carried. Life was easier with him around and it had been him who had finally pushed me to go back to college and study as I had always planned on doing but had never truly gotten the chance.

My path had pushed me to be strong, ruthless and cunning and fierce, but that was not who I was on the inside. I had always been softer, quieter with a love for art and the natural world that I would never get to know cause we had destroyed it on our world beyond compare. I was curious but shy, afraid to speak my mind in case it got me in trouble with the ones around me and under the rough exterior that had been fashioned onto me that little girl still lived.

It's what made me go into xenobiology in the first place and for the first time since I was a little girl my curiosity and eagerness to learn were fostered as I delved into the new information. It was there that I thrived learning about plants and animals that once existed on our planet and how the ones we still had today (no matter how few they were) had changed to adapt to their new conditions.

I learned quickly, so fascinated by what I was learning that it accelerated my study time and soon enough I was graduating with honours after finishing a four-year degree in two and a half years. This, of course, caught the eyes of the RDA and they offered me a spot in their Avatar program with the promise of more knowledge and the chance to travel to a place where all the life I adored still thrived. Jake hadn't been too happy when I'd given him the news. He'd already received word that his brother would be training in the same program and was none too happy to have two people he cared about leaving to some far off world where he couldn't follow.

Thomas Sully was a name I knew well both from Jake and from others in the training program and yet I never truly knew him. We were in some of the same classes and I saw him around the building occasionally but I was never brave enough to approach him. He had grown apart from Jake as their paths divulged, Tommy diving into the world of science while Jake left his home to fight for his country. Two brothers on opposite ends of the scale. It had left their relationship strained, from what Jake had told me Tommy had never been happy with Jakes decision to join the marines.

Still, he was a good guy always bright and vibrant and incredibly smart, and when he died we all mourned for him. His funeral was the first time Jake had turned away my support, saying he wanted to go alone, he needed to go alone. He cried like a baby when he got home and I held him through it all as he lamented his broken relationship and cursed the suits who were inconsiderate enough to try and coax him into his brothers' position when his death was still so fresh.

Even now I hated myself a little bit for feeling glad that Jake was here with me. Cause that meant that in some sick way, I was happy that his brother had died and given Jake the chance to take his place and it left me feeling sick to my stomach every time I thought about it.

"Hey Jake," I breathed out softly smiling up at my best friend as he rubbed gentle circles onto my shoulder blade before sitting back upright. "You look like shit, Olson," he intoned lazily with a slight smirk on his face and I turned a deadpanned stare onto him.

"Thanks, sunshine you don't look much different," I remarked back dryly with a smirk of my own as the queasiness began to ease. I removed his hand from my shoulder gripping it firmly in my own as the transport separated from the main space station and we began our descent onto Pandora. We were together and that was all that mattered. This would be a fresh start for both of us and who knows where it would lead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own James Cameron's Avatar all rights go to its creators!
> 
> Edited.

The ride down to the surface was approximately an hour and the cabin buzzed with nervous energy as we got closer and closer to our new home for the foreseeable future. I managed to nibble on one of the energy bars, the flaky oat bar having about as much flavour as shaved cardboard, but it quelled my hunger none the less.

Jake and I spoke quietly throughout the flight about everything and nothing as I struggled to remain calm. I couldn't tell if I was excited or scared out of my mind. On one hand, I would get to see all the incredible plants and animals I had learned about first hand. On the other, I would be surrounded by unfamiliar faces, most of which would be soldiers, in an unfamiliar place that could very well induce old memories I would much rather remain buried. The talking helped keep me calm and I was reminded, not for the first time, that without Jake I probably would have driven myself insane a long time ago.

Our chat was interrupted by a man in fatigues wandering down the aisle yelling at us to get our Exo packs on. "Exo packs on, let's go! Exo packs on! Remember 2, 4! You lose that mask you're unconscious in 20 seconds dead in 4 minutes!" He droned monotonously as if giving a speech about possibly dying in toxic air was an everyday occurrence. He said something else witty about nobody dying cause it looked bad on his report but I had well and truly tuned him out by that point focusing instead on attaching the mask securely to my face. I had no intention of dying before I got to explore the world I had worked so hard to reach.

The wheels touched smoothly onto the ground and suddenly there was a flurry of movement in the cabin, everyone rushing to get their harnesses unbuckled and pick up their bags before lining up in the aisles. I stayed where I was peering around Jake at the door as the commander continued to shout out orders, "go directly to the base, do not stop! Go directly inside!". The doors cracked open with a hiss everyone bobbing their heads up and around the others to try and get a glimpse of the world outside.

I was thoroughly disappointed when my eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight and all I could see was the bland concrete of the base and a dark shadowy tree-line surrounding it. It was dull and bleak, the complete opposite of what I knew this planet to look like and it left my head spinning to think we'd already blemished this pure world in the same way we'd tainted our own.

The door hit the tarmac and everyone was quick to start unloading jogging straight from the plane towards the main building where we'd get our official 'welcome to Pandora' speech. I almost scoffed at the thought, all I wanted was a brief summary and then someone to point me to my bunk so I could shower and then get a good night's rest.

I grabbed my bag standing behind Jake as he reached out to unfold his wheelchair and put on his bag. Once a marine, always a marine, and independence had been a big factor in helping him heal. We started out the plane me walking briskly behind him as the commander peered back towards us. He sent me a glare that I matched obviously unhappy that I didn't move forward with all the able-bodied soldiers before turning his stare to Jake. "Let's go special case do not make me wait for you!"

I bit back a scathing retort as he insulted my friend, a sharp glare being aimed at the commander instead, I knew Jake could handle the comments but it didn't make them any nicer to hear. Jake rolled slowly down the ramp, the ease of control of his wheelchair coming from the past three years of practice, it made me proud to see how far he'd come since his injury. I wandered along beside him as we moved towards the building, both of us staring at our surroundings in curiosity. An amp suit came walking swiftly towards us and both Jake and I dodged out of his way before continuing on our path, stoutly ignoring his call of "lookout hotrod!" The crude comment obviously aimed at my crippled friend.

Our path was blocked once more by a huge truck that had obviously come from the unobtainium mine but that wasn't the most fascinating part. The large expertly crafted arrows sticking out of the back tires are what caught my attention and my eyes followed the brightly coloured feathers until a gentle tug on the wrist from Jake reminded me to keep moving.

The compound was crowded so I wandered ahead of Jake making sure to keep wishing his eyesight to find the room where the safety briefing would be taking place. I peered into the room looking back at my friend to make sure he knew where we were supposed to go and got an understanding nod from him as I entered the room.

I settled myself at the back just as the Colonel began to speak, "You are on Pandora, ladies, and gentlemen. Respect that fact every second of every day. If there is a hell you might want to go there for some R and R after a tour on Pandora. Out there beyond that fence, everything that crawls, flies, or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes for jujubees."

I was thoroughly disinterested in his old school scare tactics but I perked up at the mention of the Na'vi. By this point, Jake was rolling into the room coming to a stop next to me as the Colonel turned around to fix him with an unsettling look. The man was harsh, his face permanently stained with a stern expression, his military uniform pressed neatly the pants tucked into perfectly shined combat boots.

Outwardly he was the perfect soldier, but one look at his eyes and the slightly crazed glint buried deep within them paired with the three slashes marring his face and the side of his head, I knew he held none of the honour so many were praised for. That stare reminded me so much of the one who had trained me, the one who had moulded me into a monster with harsh words and even nastier actions. I hated him already.

I turned my most heated glare towards the front of the room and he turned to me with an almost haughty look in his eyes that left anxiety swirling in my stomach. This man would be trouble for Jake, I could only hope that I wasn't the only one out of the two of us that could see it.

I tuned out the rest of the talk in favour of staring out the window at the forest beyond the fence line, squashing down the unpleasant memories the colonel had dredged up. My fingers itched to pull out my sketchbook as I gazed at the tree line, drawing being one of the many hobbies I had attempted while in recovery and one of the few that had stuck. The feeling of the pencils scratching over paper always serving to calm my ragged emotions. I held back, not wanting to draw the colonel's gaze back in our direction lest he notice that I was not paying attention to his oh so important safety briefing.

There was a strange feeling in my chest, something almost melancholy and longing that drew me towards the forest like a moth to a flame. This planet was something special, even inside the concrete walls of the compound, I could almost feel it pulsing with life, a wild and untapped energy that refused to dim.

Ever since I was a child I had felt things differently, I'd always been more in tune with my surroundings than my siblings and my friends. It had only gotten stronger since Venezuela to the point where I could almost feel the life of the planet back home dying out. At times it had been almost crippling when the feeling of despair latched on and the energy of the Earth was slowly sapped away. It was torture when I was alone my captors having never tried to understand what pained me so much. Jake never really understood either but he sat with me on those nights anyway as I bawled my eyes out on our kitchen floor lamenting the life of the planet we could no longer save.

Now sitting in a new place and feeling the vibrancy this place exuded I promised to myself that I would protect it for as long as I could, this place would not die as Earth did so long as I could do something about it.

A gentle nudge in my ribs brought me out of my musings and my head snapped around to Jake with a curious look. He wasn't looking at me but his body was turned minutely in my direction and I bit my lip in amusement. I scooted a little closer leaning down to rest my head on my hand and conveniently placing my ear right beside his mouth as he whispered: "nothing like an old school safety brief to put your mind at ease." A smirk stretched its way onto my face as I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye but I stayed silent letting the Colonel continue to jabber on in peace.

It was probably only an hour later (an hour that felt like a lifetime) that the Colonel released us from the room. I was all too happy to escape, hauling my bag up onto my shoulder and exiting as quickly as possible. There was no reason to stay in the Colonel's presence any longer than absolutely necessary. Our lockers in the space transport had also held a map of the base and a piece of paper detailing information about our living arrangements and other important things we'd probably need to know. I scrutinised the piece of paper as we walked, on hand on the back of Jake's wheelchair so I wouldn't lose him in the crowded hallway.

"I think we're headed in the right direction," I mumbled down to him, studying the map in my hands. Jake snorted from in front on me, "that's great, isn't it! If we're lucky we might even make it to the lab by morning." His joke at my poor navigating skills was not appreciated and I cuffed him on the back of the head gently getting an indignant "hey" in return. "Don't antagonise the one with the map Jake, who knows where we'll end up," I teased cheekily, gently rubbing the spot I'd hit in apology.

A frantic calling of Jakes' name had my head snapping up from the map and I spun around, curious to see who had called his name. It was another one of the Avatar drivers, Norm if I remembered correctly, a tall lanky fellow with shaggy brown hair a somewhat awkward disposition. He had been good friends with Tommy in the training program and I had no doubt that was why he approached us now.

"You're Jake right, Toms' brother? Wow you look just like him." I grimaced slightly at the tactless comment, this guy sure knew how to make a first impression. I continued to gently massage the back of Jakes head and neck, the gesture now more comforting than anything else, both of us recognising the uncomfortable introductions the next few hours were going to bring. The man, seeming to realise his mistake, hastily continued introducing himself, "sorry I'm Norm, Norm Spellman. I went through avatar training with your brother." Jake gave him a slightly strained smile as he shook his hand, a curt "Jake Sully," falling from his lips.

Norm turned his head seeming to notice me for the first time and smiled somewhat awkwardly at me. "Uh hi, you were in my na'vi language class, Kida right?"

I smiled stiffly up at him nodding my head and shaking his outstretched hand "Kida Olson, nice to meet you." I had never really interacted with Norm, always finding him to be a little too hyper, kind of like an over-excited puppy. He seemed like a nice guy but I never could have kept up with his boundless energy and consistent chatter. Don't get me wrong silence was something had little appreciation for but that didn't mean I enjoyed having my ear talked off either.

I could tell Jake was beginning to get restless, the muscles in his shoulders beginning to tighten. I cleared my throat motioning vaguely in the direction we had been travelling before the interruption. "We were just trying to find the bio lab I'm guessing you're headed that way too?"

He nodded vigorously at my question, the uncomfortable atmosphere lifting slightly as he started forward, chattering away about the different areas of the compound and his excitement at finally arriving on Pandora. Jake looked up at me with a perturbed look as I sent a weary smile down at him before we started off after the over-active scientist, my hand staying firmly locked on his shoulder the entire time.

The lab was exactly as I expected, various screens on every surface with overhanging lights illuminating each work station, and people with clipboards and lab coats milling around every inch of the room. Norm was still talking trying to lead us towards the link room where the main bulk of my co-workers would be but I was distracted by a blue glow from the room to our left. I ducked away from my friend heading towards the glow which turned out to be our avatars being unloaded after their journey.

I stood there in awe staring at the three huge cylinders each holding a large muscular blue body, our Avatars. It was surreal to see how much they'd grown, only been the size of a tennis ball when we'd left. I could vaguely hear Jakes' comment of "damn they got big!" Before I honed in on my own avatar.

She looked like me, not that I expected her to look much different seeing as she had my DNA in her body but it was still incredibly strange to see your face on another body. My avatar was a little more shapely than images I had seen of Na'vi women but not by much, my hips were a little wider and my legs were a little more defined but otherwise there was not much difference. Long dark hair floated gently around the serene form, the unbraided locks reaching about mid back when loose. The body twitched occasionally, no big movements just a hand clenching periodically or a tail twitching back and forth. It was mind-boggling.

I turned away from the body and back towards Jake who was now staring in sadness at his own avatar. My expression dropped slightly, an understanding look overcoming my features and I made my way over to him, placing both my hands on his shoulders in silent support as his grief over losing his brother undoubtedly flared up.

"It looks just like him," he murmured quietly as if talking to himself and I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind resting the side of my forehead against his. He reached one hand up to hold my arm, his own head pressing back into mine soaking in the comfort I provided.

"It looks like you, this is your avatar now Jake," Norm said encouragingly and a small smile made its way onto Jakes' face. I turned around and gave Norm a meaningful look to express my gratitude, Jake had really needed to hear that from someone other than me.

I turned to the other scientist standing beside Norm and smiled sheepishly at him realising I had walked straight past him on my way to see my avatar. He was a shorter fellow, possibly of Indian descent with a wild mop of curly dark hair and a broad grin stretching out his face. He gave off a warm aura, something telling me that he was a good person inside and out. "Hi, I'm Kida Olson it's nice to meet you," I said softly holding my hand out for him to shake. He reached back with a warm smile and a firm grip replying, "Dr Max Patel, you must our new xenobiologist." I nodded back to him with my reply, "Yeah, though I'm more interested in the animals than the plants, I think there are more than enough botanists on this team already." The jab was aimed slightly at Norm, who I knew from training was more focused on the plant life rather than the creatures the planet was home to. Max chuckled lightly at my comment, "We certainly have quite a few of those."

"Let's get you guys settled in a little before the others come out of the link, you should probably do your first video logs. You know, get started early," Max said as he led us away from the tanks and further into the lab. He settled Norm and I down in front of two cameras so we could talk about our trip out and whatever else we thought would be important to note.

I stared blankly into the camera lens for just a moment before heaving a sigh and pressing the record button. "Alright it is day 1 and the time is 16:54. I have been on Pandora for approximately two hours so far not including the three hours spent on the space station and travelling to the surface of the planet. Already I can feel the difference between Pandora and Earth, this place is alive and vibrant in a way Earth hasn't been in a long time."

"The avatars have fully matured and we'll be taking them out for the first time tomorrow. I'm pretty confident that everything is going to go smoothly but knowing Jake and his limited knowledge of the avatars and how they operate something is going to happen. I'm curious to see how different the actual link is compared to the simulator we trained with back on Earth. I'm also excited to see how different the avatar body is compared to my human body in terms of the differences in our movements and senses. I suppose I'll find all that out tomorrow.

"I studied hard to get here but I can already tell that there is so much more I need to learn if I want to truly begin to understand this planet. The plants and animals are so unique and complex I can already tell I'm going to love going out so that I can study them, hopefully, one day we'll know enough so that all these soldiers can stop acting like it's armageddon out there."

I finished my log saving it to my personal account before moving over so Jake could do his. I wandered away to peer at the computer screens nearby, they were currently showing the vital signs for our avatars and I leaned in closer to get a better look at their brain activity. It was incredible, their brains bright and active even though they were still in a sort of comatose state in their amniotic fluid. I stared in awe at the scans before Jake interrupted my reverie with his questioning.

"Am I doing this right? I just say whatever to the camera?" I snickered at him without turning away from the screen as Norm turned around to encourage him. "Yeah, you just need to get into the habit of documenting everything, what you see, what you feel. It's all part of the science and good science starts with good observation." My snickering got slightly louder at the motherly tone Norm took when speaking to Jake and I could almost feel his glare burning into the side of my head, I turned to poke my tongue out at him childishly. I heard Jake turned back to the camera with a huff and then. "Well, here I am, doing science. Never been in a lab before." I'm pretty sure everyone in the lab heard me laughing at that one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own James Cameron's Avatar all rights go to its creators!
> 
> Not edited.

_*Na'vi language will be written like this._

Max lead us away from our avatars and out towards the main link room where we were supposedly about to meet our boss. This practically caused Norm to have a fit in his excitement at meeting 'the Grace Augustine'. I couldn't deny I wasn't a little excited, Grace was probably the most knowledgable scientist on this team when it came to Pandoran biology and I couldn't wait to pick her brain about all the different species of plants and animals on the planet.

Jake looked slightly overwhelmed by Norms' enthusiasm and I increased my pace a little to walk beside Max. "Grace Augustine is a legend. She wrote the book, I mean literally, wrote the book on Pandoran botany." Norm twittered excitedly and I caught the faintest hint of a smirk on Max's face as he turned around to look at us.

"That's cause she likes plants better than people," he whispered lowly with an amused smile that I parroted back to him.

We were all startled out of our fun when a coarse shout echoed across the now busy link room, "who's got my goddamn cigarette. Guys, what's wrong with this picture?" She looked older than most of us, probably in her fifties with short curly red hair and slightly harsh brown eyes. She had everyone in the room figured out and she knew it, it left me a little apprehensive about meeting her. It was clear that she expected a lot from those that she worked with, I only hoped that I could live up to her expectations.

"Here she is, Cinderella back from the ball. Grace I'd like you to meet Norm Spellman, Kida Olson and Jake Su-" max started but was abruptly cut off at the end by the woman herself.

"Norm I hear good things about you, how's your Na'vi?" She intoned calmly stoutly ignoring everyone else as she focused on her current subject of interest.

" _May the All Mother smile upon our first meeting._ "

" _Not bad. You sound a little formal._ " Her face had taken on a satisfied expression, it was clear that he had impressed her with his knowledge.

"There is still much to learn," Norm responded bashfully, clearly thrilled about the not quite compliment he had just received from his idol.

She whipped her stare around to me and my body flushed hot with nerves. She was certainly intimidating, she could pin even the strongest person down without ever saying a word. " _Kida your resume was impressive, you finished your degree remarkably fast and with honours no less_ ," she said challengingly, testing my knowledge on the native language.

" _I thank you for your kindness, Dr Augustine. It is easy to learn when you love what you are learning, I thank you for the opportunity you have provided by bringing me here_." I responded respectfully, I had always struggled with the language so I had made it my goal to be able to speak fluently by the time we left Earth for Pandora. This situation made me incredibly glad to have reached that goal on time.

Grace looked at me approvingly seemingly satisfied by both mine and Norm's performance before Max interrupted her gently. "Grace this is Jake Sully," he said motioning down to the marine waiting awkwardly in between the scientists.

"Ma'am," he said respectfully holding his hand out for her to shake. She dismissed him easily with a wave of her hand turning to speak condescendingly down at him. "Yeah I know who you are, and I don't need you. I need your brother. You know the one with the PhD who trained three years for this mission." She had a look of disdain on her features as the words poured out of her mouth.

I looked over at her in shock, could she be any more insensitive to someone who had just lost their twin brother. That shock turned to anger as my stare turned cool. I understand that it must be difficult for her that she no longer had one of the scientists she hired but couldn't she be a little more discreet? The man's life had just been turned upside down and here this woman was bitching about losing a scientist, she should learn to be more grateful for what she has. At least Tommy had a twin brother like Jake who could not only operate his avatar, which is extremely expensive, but he was also not completely incompetent and useless. But she certainly wasn't thinking about it like that, I'm sure all she saw was another soldier trying to weasel their way into her department. But I knew Jake, he wasn't like that and if she kept insulting him I'd make sure she knew it.

"He's dead. I know it's a big inconvenience to everyone." He replied smartly glaring up at Grace as her aggressive stance softened slightly. It was clear she still wasn't convinced but she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. "How much lab training have you had? Have you ever run a gas chromatograph?"

"No." I facepalmed slightly at his answer, I understood that it was the truth but it wasn't going to help his case with her.

"Have you done any actual lab work at all?"

The smirk on his face clued me into his intentions and I bit back a sigh as she responded, "I dissected a frog once."

Immediately Grace's expression morphed from somewhat sympathetic to enraged and I could almost feel the smug satisfaction at having riled her up rolling off Jake in waves. Max threw an incredulous look at Jake before turning around to try and placate his boss but he barely got a word in before Grace started ranting.

"You see? They're pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain. I'm going to Selfridge." She turned to storm away with Max desperately trying to talk her down but all he got for his efforts was "No man this is such bullshit." As she stormed away we could faintly hear her saying "I'm going to kick his corporate butt, he has no business sticking his nose in my department."

Max turned back to us with a tight smile on his face, clearly, this was something that happened fairly often. "Be back here tomorrow, oh eight hundred. And please, try and use big words," he implored gently before turning back to supervise the decanting of our avatars. I turned towards Jake, holding my hand out when I noticed the tense look on his face. He took it gratefully and ran my thumb gently over his knuckles for a few moments squeezing it gently before letting go.

Norm looked as if he may be in shock, still completely overwhelmed by the whirlwind that is Grace Augustine. "Hey Norm, you in there hun," I said amusingly snapping my fingers in front of his face a few times. He turned to me with a quiet 'huh' and a dazed look on his face as I smirked back at him. "Come on daydreamer get your head out of the clouds, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving," I called out to him already moving towards the exit with Jake.

I faintly heard Norm let out an incredulous noise followed by a faint, "wait for me!" as he jogged after us. Jake and I looked at each other before chuckling, both of us speeding up just a tad as Norm struggled to catch up.

The food in the cafeteria was subpar at best, almost all of the plants on pandora were toxic to humans, so there was very little fresh produce for us to choose from. Still, I suppose it wasn't bad for a meal that consisted of mostly long-life food products and other strange items that I would have no idea were even edible if they were given to me on Earth. But the food was food, it was certainly better than some of the other things I'd been fed back on Earth.

We all made small talk as we ate, despite the tense mood from earlier we were all still excited for finally being able to link with our avatars in the morning. Jake was a little quieter than his usual lively self, the harsh rejection from his new boss still stinging slightly. I didn't try and placate him, it would only serve to make him angry and he needed to be calm if he was going to get a good nights sleep.

We finished our meals quickly before wandering down to the barracks where we would be living for the next five odd years. They were very plain each room housing two or three people with each department having separate living spaces. I was eternally grateful that I did not have to room with a group of soldiers for the next five years. In fact, seeing as there was an odd number of women to arrive on our transport, I had managed to snag a room all to myself. A fact I was not too keen on.

While I craved quiet I did not necessarily desire solitude. In fact, I avoided it at all costs. I had experienced first hand just how much damage extended periods of solitude could do to your brain and I never wanted to experience it again. I peered around the empty room in apprehension, having to swallow the lump that formed in my throat before I could begin to unpack. I would be fine, the room was only here to sleep in and I would spend as much time as possible outside with Jake and the others. I wasn't going to be stuck in here on my own, it's only for a little while.

I repeated that like a mantra in my head as I unpacked. First the limited clothing I had brought with me (mainly pyjamas and casual clothes) before moving to unpack my toiletries as well. The showers were communal, each department had a bathroom at either end of their section divided by sex. I made my way out of my bedroom, the emptiness beginning so suffocate me slightly and headed towards the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

The bathrooms were just as plain as the bedrooms with poorly partitioned shower stalls at the back of the room and toilet stalls closer to the front, a row of sinks and mirrors running down the middle of the room. It was grey and bland, as most of the compound was, but the hot water still felt amazing on my skin as I scrubbed away six years worth of grime. It was more metaphorical than physical, seeing as you couldn't really get dirty while in cryo, but it helped none the less. The showers were on a timer, you only get ten minutes of hot water before you're stuck in a cold shower but it's nice while it lasts.

I felt thoroughly refreshed as I exited the shower block, hair washed and teeth cleaned and thoroughly exhausted as the activity of the day caught up with me. By the time I had made it back to my bunk I was dead on my feet just waiting to flop down onto the bed and let sleep consume me. But the minute I closed my eyes I found myself engulfed by the oppressive silence in the room and suddenly I was wide awake.

Now the room was too cold, and the sheets began to itch and I could feel my chest starting to constrict in my anxiety. I could almost hear the incessant drip that had once driven me almost to the point of insanity and suddenly I couldn't breathe. The walls were no longer a dull white paint but rough dark grey, paint peeling in spots to reveal the cracking concrete underneath. The pleasant cool of the filtering fan was a chilling breeze that left me shivering uncontrollably on the mattress. I bolted upright staring with wild eyes at the agonisingly empty room before I leapt towards the door, taking off into the hallway.

I paced anxiously forward counting the numbers on the doors until I reached the one I was looking for. I rapped my knuckles quickly on the doors, distantly hoping that someone would be awake to come and open the door. It was a few moments before I heard shuffling coming from inside the room and the gentle squeaking of wheels as they moved towards the door. An irritated Jake opened the door, he had clearly been ready to berate whoever had pulled him out of bed, but the expression dropped when he noticed who it was.

He wordlessly opened the door for me moving further into the room and leaving me to close it behind us. Norm was dead to the world, only half covered by the blankets with his mouth opened wide, loud snores escaping. The noise soothed my frayed emotions, anything other than the nightmarish silence I would have to endure in my own room.

Jake crawled his way back into his bunk, tucking his wheelchair in the corner where it would be easily accessible in the morning before patting the bed beside him. A light film of tears covered my eyes as I crawled into bed next to him. He pulled me closer so I was tucked firmly against his side, my head resting on his chest directly over his heartbeat. Any residual tension slowly bled out of my body as the bone-numbing tiredness returned.

We both took comfort from the familiar position, it had become a habit when we'd been in the hospital together. Any time one of us couldn't sleep or wound up in some sort of distress we would gravitate towards one another. We were both alone and we were both hurting so it was easy to lean on one another. Eventually, it became a tradition, and now neither of us gave any thought to the comforting action, something I was eternally grateful for.

"Goodnight Jake," I murmured softly, eyes already beginning to droop shut with fatigue, but he was already too far gone to respond. I fell asleep peacefully that night, the rhythmic beating of his heart lulling me to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own James Cameron's Avatar all rights go to its creators!
> 
> Not edited.

Rough poking startled me out of sleep the next morning and I bolted upright still thoroughly disoriented after the rude awakening. It took a minute for my mind to sharpen, the haze of sleep still lingering. Norm was standing over me, mouth hung open in shock and I reached forward with a tired groan to push it to shut for him.

He gave a sort of indignant huff at me but I was too busy stretching my stiff muscles to pay too much attention to his childish spat. I looked over to my side and frowned at my friend, incredibly disgruntled that I had been awoken while he was allowed to continue to sleep peacefully.

I turned a deadpanned stare onto Norm, thoroughly unimpressed with his lack of decorum but all I got was a stern frown in return. "What are you doing here? No, better question, how did you even get in here?" It appeared that I'd thrown Norm more than I would have expected so I smiled slightly apologetically up at him.

"Good morning Norm, did you sleep well?" I said softly while trying less than gracefully to get off the bed without waking Jake up.

"Did I sleep well? That is really not the issue here!" He hissed back at me and I frowned gently at his tone.

"I'm sorry Norm, I didn't think it would bother you this much. I have trouble sleeping sometimes and I'm so used to sharing a room with Jake that he was the first person I thought to come to last night." I truly was sorry, although it was more for making Norm uncomfortable than for actually coming to their room. That I would do again in a heartbeat. It's also not like I was going to go find someone else more female in nature, who I had no prior connection to, and ask to spend the night with them because I can't handle being alone. Yeah, that's never going to happen.

He softened slightly at my explanation but still looked thoroughly uncomfortable with my presence in his room. "Look Norm I really didn't mean to bother you. Jake and I have been friends for a long time so this is a pretty normal occurrence but I didn't consider your feelings and I'm sorry about that." I put the most sincere expression I could muster onto my face, I really didn't need to be making an enemy out of Norm when we had only just really met each other.

I got a long sigh in return and I brightened at the slightly resigned look on his face. "Just give me a little warning next time alright. Do you have any idea the kind of heart attack you gave me this morning when I realised there were three people here instead of two?" I giggled slightly at his tone relieved that he wasn't as angry as I initially thought he was.

It was at that moment that Jake decided to wake up and he rolled over groggily stretching his hands up above his head. "G'morning guys," he grumbled out mid-stretch followed by an obnoxious yawn. "Morning sleepy," I crooned back with an amused smile on my face. I reached out ruffling his hair to try and tame the slight bedhead he had acquired over the course of the night.

"You two better get up, it's almost seven and we should eat something before we have to report to work." Norm informed us as he wandered out the door.

I turned over to look at Jake who had flopped back down on to the bed. As a marine, his schedule had always been strict and wakeup times had been part of that regimen. It was one of the things that had stuck with him after he was discharged and so both of us had gotten into a habit of waking up early and then dozing for a half hour or so before getting up. That habit was not appreciated so much now seeing as we had to actually start getting up early in the morning if we wanted to make it to work on time.

A mischievous smirk painted its way onto my face as I watched the peacefully dozing marine beside me. I moved nonchalantly, grabbing the second pillow from my side of the bed and fluffing it out slightly before abruptly swinging it around and smashing it into my friends face.

He bolted upright with a surprised shout as I cackled wildly at his reaction. I could feel the heat of his glare from across the room as I smiled cheekily back at him. "You awake now sunshine," I teased lightly still chuckling under my breath.

"Oh yeah but I don't think you're quite awake yet, why don't you come back over here and we can sort that out." He crowed at me playfully serious as he readied a pillow for retaliation.

I grinned impishly back at him as I replied, "No I don't think I will. Seeing as it's already so late and all. Norm's probably halfway through his breakfast by now." Jake reared back before throwing the pillow with all his might. I squealed childishly dodging the projectile as it hit the wall exactly where I had been standing. I bolted out of the room laughing the whole way back to my own.

After a quick shower and a decent breakfast of oatmeal and preserved fruit, I was bouncing my way along the hall towards the link room. Jake and Norm were following right on my heels, Norm apparently having forgiven me for the heart attack I had given him that morning.

Our avatars had been decanted at some point since we'd left the lab the previous afternoon and we're now lying prone on hospital gurneys in an adjoining room. I peered through the glass at them, silently marvelling at the strangeness of it all before Dr Augustine approached us.

"Norm how much link time have you logged," she asked as she leads us towards our links.

"Uh about 520 hours," he replied proudly and I leant down to Jake mumbling a quiet 'kiss ass' in his ear. He smirked back up at me as I heard grace mumble "good, that's good. You're in there."

"Kida, what about you?" She spoke as she directed me to the link on the other side of Jake. "About 500 hours," I replied smiling at the link tech who was setting up my unit.

I vaguely heard her direct Jake over to his link in between Norm and I when she asked, "And you, how much time have you logged?" I lay down on the strange gel that formed the base of the link pod pulling the sensory cage down over my body.

A wide smile lit up my face at his reply. "Zip, but I read a manual." I chuckled to myself before the link tech reached up to pull the lid down. All I heard before I went in was, "Tell me you're joking," and then it was quiet.

There's a moment when I first enter the link chamber that I almost forget where I am. It's cold and dark and quiet and I always have to take a steadying breath before I can close my eyes. I comforted myself with the thought that at least with this I'd be waking up in a new body and I would finally be allowed to go outside and start learning about all the incredible plants and animals this planet was home to. If I had to deal with a little tiny box to get there, then so be it. With that thought in mind, I relaxed down into the gel and let my mind go blank.

It was too bright when I woke up, there was a light shining directly in my eyes and everything was hazy. My head felt like it was underwater but I could vaguely hear someone speaking in my ear. "-ida, Kida! Can you hear me, Kida?" A woman was standing over me, her voice getting clearer and clearer by the second. A bright light was shone in my eyes and there was clicking around my ears, "pupillary and pinna responses normal, how are you feeling Kida?" She asked gently.

"Hi, I'm feeling alright," I murmured to her wiggling my fingers and toes to try and get some feeling into my new body. "Why don't you try sitting up for me, honey and we'll get some tests started," she said smiling at me.

I sat up slowly still a little shaky in my new form and took a moment to stare down at my new body. I lifted my arms twisting them around so I could get a better look at the dark banding pattern contrasting the pale blue of my new skin tone and then shifted my legs around testing out the movements of the new body.

"That's very good Kida, you're doing great. Can I get you to swing your legs off the side of the gurney for me and we're going to do some simple exercises to make sure you're adjusting, alright?" I carefully swung my legs over the side of the bed finally sitting up to my full height. I was obviously shorter than the boys but I still towered over the human personnel in the room most of them being under six foot while my body stood at almost nine feet.

I was swinging my legs gently and touching the tips of my fingers to my thumb when Norm first woke up. It took a minute for him to sit up and the same way I was, our bodies now facing one another. In a momentary lapse in professionalism, both our faces broke out into wild childish grins as we celebrated all our hard work. We were finally here, on Pandora, and now we were linked up to our Avatars for the first time. All the long hours and sweat and tears that had lead to this moment had finally paid off. It was a glorious feeling.

Jake took the longest to settle into his link, which was understandable for someone who had never experienced it before. I was just finishing up my tests when he finally came to and the moment he started twitching his toes I knew it was all over. I was standing up, walking from one end of the room to the other trying to get used to my balance when he sat up. He was staring wide-eyed down at his legs as the muscles twitched and moved on his command and he turned to glance at me with bright eyes and an ecstatic grin on his face. I mirrored his smile taking the clothes I was offered from the nurse gratefully and hastily beginning to slip them on. If I was right, and I almost always was when it came to Jake, then he would be up and trying to get out of this room as soon as possible. You can't really blame him though, the man just got his legs back.

True to my prediction I had just slipped the shirt over my head when rapid beeping started from the monitors on his side of the room followed by a loud crash. I whipped around only to facepalm at Jake stumbling around the room like a newborn baby. The scientists were all yelling at him to sit back down but of course, being the stubborn marine that he is it all went in one ear and went back out the other. I was content to sit back and watch the chaos until someone started talking about sedating him.

Everyone was running around like mad so, in a probable lapse of judgement on my part, I turned around and opened the doors heading outside. I could hear Norm trying to calm Jake down inside saying, "they're going to put you out," but I could already hear his footsteps echoing mine as he followed me out the door.

The sunlight was worse than the artificial lights I'd woken up with and I squinted for a moment against the harsh glare. Someone crashed into my back and I could tell by the similar stature and distant murmuring of Norm still inside the compound that it was Jake. He leaned heavily on my shoulders as we adjusted to the light. All I could get out was a soft gasp when they did.

It was breathtaking, not the compound obviously that was a bit of an eyesore compared to the lush jungle surrounding it. It was all so green and bright and the air was crisp and clean as it filled my lungs. I wiggled my toes surprised to feel grass and dirt under my toes and belatedly realised that I'd forgotten to put my boots on in the excitement. I could feel the energy thrumming under my feet, the life force of the planet strong and pure and so incredibly intoxicating it left tears in my eyes. I wondered for a moment if this was what Earth felt like all those years ago.

I turned my head over to Jake with a wild look in my eye and a beaming smile splitting my face. He reflected it to me and with a challenging look on his eyes took off further into the compound.

I was of course much more stable than he was, having actually gone through and completed all my motor control exercises before attempting to go gallivanting off in a new body. So as he stumbled along still trying to gain his bearings I jogged calmly beside him, my head on the swivel trying to take in all the new sights. Eventually, he seemed to get the hang of it settling into a rhythm as he started running faster and faster with a gleeful hoot.

I watched with a proud smile on my face, elated to finally see my best friend so happy. I stoutly ignored Norm as he came up behind me calling out, "Jake wait! We're not supposed to be running!" I rolled my eyes at the comment turning around to face him, "live a little Norm! He can't go far!" The flat look I got in return as he continued to clumsily chase after Jake caused a snicker to bubble up in my throat.

Grace was waiting with the boys when I finally caught up to them, Jake peacefully munching on some sort of fruit like a toddler, juice dripping down his chin. "Looking good Olsen," Grace called out and I smiled up at her. "You don't look too bad yourself Dr Augustine."

I turned to the boys with a smirk on my face and said, "Why don't we get you two some clothes, it must be getting pretty breezy right about now."

Jake bared his teeth playfully at me, utterly unruffled by his state of undress. Norm on the other hand was mortified, seeming to have completely forgotten that he was only in a flimsy hospital gown. His face flushed a bright purple as he gripped the back of his hospital gown trying to pull it closed behind him.

"Come on you three, let me show you guys where we sleep," Grace beckoned leading us towards the large wooden building just a few metres ahead. Jake and I grinned at Norm and he glared at us before stepping between us to follow quickly behind Grace still desperately trying to hold his gown in place.

I turned back towards my friend reaching out quickly to jab him in the ribs and dancing just out of his reach as he grabbed at me. He lunged after my retreating figure as I continued to evade him before he finally managed to snag my arm drawing me back towards him. I fought against his grip laughing loudly as he put me in a light headlock, smacking him harshly on the thigh with my tail when I got the chance.

"Hey airheads, keep up!" Grace called out and instantly we let go of each other jogging after our new boss. I gave Jake one last childish shove and he retaliated with one of his own before we ended our game, genuinely trying to find some clothes for my still very bare best friend.

We spent the rest for the day getting used to our avatars, doing some of the more simple exercises on the obstacle course and getting a tour of the area where our avatars would be staying. The farm fascinated me as I looked at all the different species of native fruits being grown. It was really a shame that our human bodies couldn't digest them, they were delicious.

We were all tucked away in the building, our avatars safely bedded down for the night on an army-style cot surrounded by insect netting. I was lying there peacefully listening to the noise of the forest not ten metres away from us. People were scampering all over the place, scientists doing last minute checks on our bodies before they were locked away for the night and people milling around chatting to one another before they un-linked.

"Alright, everyone! Lights out!" Grace called locking the main gate into the building, then walking along the aisle towards her own cot. "See you at dinner kiddies," she said most of the drivers beginning to un-link.

I sat there for a moment longer basking in the stillness of the night, it wasn't panic-inducing as the quiet so often turned out to be, the night still too alive to truly be silent. A small smile played on my face at the thought, it was utterly and completely peaceful and I allowed myself to bask in the gentle glow of the night a moment longer before clearing my mind and drifting off to sleep.

Waking up in the link was one of the worst feelings in the world. The peaceful calm of the forest sounds and the gentle energy of the planet was almost nonexistent inside the concrete walls of the compound and I longed to go back outside if only to make sure they had actually been real. I hopped out of my link with an aching head and a heavy heart when a hand placed itself on my shoulder.

I looked up to see Grace with an encouraging smile on her face, "I know how you feel, but it gets easier with time."

I smiled weakly back at her looking over to Jake as he stared resignedly down at his legs. My heart clenched painfully in my chest and I made my way over to him. "Come on cowboy, let's go get some grub," the smile I painted on my face was strained but he took the offer for what it was, a distraction.

We made our way to the mess hall silently, each lost in our heads thinking about the previous day. Norm beckoned us over to a table with all our co-workers and almost immediately max snagged me in a conversation about my day. I tried to bring Jake into our conversation as often as I could but ultimately left him to his brooding, he would come to me when he wanted to talk.

A gorgeous Latino woman strode towards us, her dark hair held securely in a ponytail and flight suit betraying her position as a pilot for the military operations on base. She ignored most of us honing in on Jake at the end of the table, "Sully, colonel wants to see you in the armour bay."

I glanced worriedly at Jake as he looked to the young pilot in confusion but he ultimately gave a minor shrug throwing a puzzled glance around the table before following after her. I could almost feel the dread settle in my stomach as I watched him wheel away. Something was going to happen, and it wasn't anything good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own James Cameron's Avatar all rights go to its creators!
> 
> Not edited.

We were going outside today. I almost couldn't believe they were actually going to let us leave the compound on our second day driving our avatars. I had been buzzing with barely contained excitement most of the other people in the mess hall giving me strange looks as I sashayed along. Grace was expecting us in the link room at oh eight-thirty so we could be down in the armour bay for an oh nine hundred departure time.

Jake's talk with Quaritch still worried me, I had managed to brave my own room last night clinging onto the peace I'd felt during the day so I hadn't managed to talk to him until this morning. I tried to corner him before breakfast but all I got was a dismissive wave and an "it was just marines being marines, there's nothing for you to worry about." Yeah right.

His talk with the colonel didn't bother me so much as his lying to me about it did. Jake and I didn't lie to each other, it was something I'd made him promise me early on in our friendship. He was the only person I ever completely trusted after my recovery because I knew that he would always tell me the truth, I didn't know what I would do if that changed.

I somehow managed to push my worries to the back of my mind, we were going out today and I wouldn't let anything dampen my mood. Jake and his strange behaviour could wait.

I arrived ahead of the boys, too giddy to walk at the easy pace they'd both set. It surprised me that Norm wasn't directly on my heels, I would have thought with how he had been acting yesterday that he'd be just as excited as I was to be getting out into the wild. I shrugged off the thought practically bouncing into the link room.

"Good morning Max!" I called eagerly, the man currently setting up the biometrics for my link pod. He gave me a bright smile enthusiasm dripping off his words, "Morning Kida! You excited for your first trip out into the forest?"

I weaved in and out of scurrying lab technicians as I hurried forward towards the pod. "You bet I am," I beamed back happily practically hurling my body into the pod.

He chuckled back at me, inputting the final sets of data into the computer as I pulled the sensor covered chest plate down. With a final smile and an encouraging, "have fun out there," he shut the lid of the link.

Waking up in my avatar body was easier the second time around. My mind settled in easier and my senses reacted faster, I was sure that would only get better with time. The comforting hum of life reverberated through my body and I basked in the serene calm of the morning as I waited for my friends to link up.

Grace was a trooper, hurrying us along from the moment she settled into her avatar body. We rushed to pick up all our equipment, grabbing sample jars and probes and other odds and ends that would help with our research whilst out in the field. I found out that the woman who had come to collect Jake the night before was going to be our pilot, Trudy Chacon, she'd introduced herself as.

I sat opposite Jake, my back facing the cockpit, and both of us leaning slightly out of the aircraft our legs braced against the skids. An uneasy feeling coiled in my stomach when I noticed his hand rested on the frighteningly large door gun. Of course, it made sense to put him there seeing as he was the only one out of the avatar drivers who had the training to use it, but it still made me queasy. Jake was only just beginning to accept that his military career was a thing of the past, at least until he could get his legs back. This sudden bravado he'd gained from having a pair of functioning legs again was worrying. I just hoped he wouldn't let it get to his head, he was so much better than the jar headed morons we shared a base with.

Trudy piloted the Sampson like a pro, her handling skills showing the many hours she'd put into learning her trade and I was more than grateful to know we had someone so experienced to cart us around. She lifted off quickly and soon enough we were making our way off the base and out into the wild.

The second we passed the fence at Hell's Gate I felt a shift in the atmosphere, the energy of the planet flaring up wildly until I could practically feel its life force pulsing in my veins. Whatever I had felt at the compound had nothing on this, an untapped aura that pulsed and swayed with the life on the planet's surface. It was intoxicating. So much so that it stole the breath from my lungs and left my heart thundering uncontrollably in my chest. It beckoned me forward, growing stronger the further me got from the compound until my heart settling to beat in time with the rhythm of the world around me.

I leant out the side of the Sampson as we soared over the canopy, letting the crisp morning air fill my lungs. The energy enveloped me like a blanket, warm and safe and welcoming in a way I had never truly experienced before. It felt like coming home.

The canopy cleared to reveal a small stream, rapidly growing in size as we continued to move forward, gradually opening up to a large lake. The picturesque view stole the air from my lungs. Hundreds of Tetrapterons were startled out of their rest by the angry noise of the chopper's rotors and they all took to the sky, their leathery purple bodies reflected on the crystal clear surface of the water. Behind them a waterfall thundered down the rocks churning up the water at its base, the powerful feature adding to the incredible view.

"Sturmbeest herd, one o'clock," Trudy called over the comm unit. Grace hollered back an affirmative when she spotted them and Norm practically scampered towards the door from his place in the middle, eager to get a look at the new wildlife. Having already been leant halfway out the door, trying to soak in everything I could see, all I had to do was turn my body slightly to get a glimpse at the creatures.

They were vaguely reminiscent of buffalo, a species that used to be fairly common on earth except these had six legs and were covered in thick armoured plating the defend against predators. They had a large horned protrusion sticking out horizontally from the tops of their heads and another on their chins just below their mouths. I had to stop myself from bouncing in my seat, beside myself at finally being able to see some of the creatures I had studied for myself. What I wouldn't give to have my sketchbook handy right now, but I would leave it packed away until we were on solid ground. The turbulence would ruin any sketch I tried to do anyways.

Trudy brought us out over the edge of a waterfall, the ground that had been previously so close to our feet now falling away to the gorge below. She banked hard pushing the Samson into a near dive as she followed the ring of waterfalls pouring down the rocks. Jake whooped and hollered and I followed suit, my stomach dropping as the adrenaline coursed through my veins. There was no better sensation than flying.

We flew a while away from the compound, a far greater distance than I would have expected for just collecting samples. Trudy brought the Samson down below the canopy to land in a clearing, the rotor blades beating down on the tall grass. We hadn't even fully set down yet before Jake was out of the plane, now unhooked door gun raised and ready as he scanned our surroundings for threats. I rolled my eyes dramatically at him, grabbing my pack and then following suit after we were properly settled on the ground.

"You just couldn't wait could you?" I teased lightly, brushing past him to look at a large fern that was almost twice my height.

I heard the gun drop as he relaxed slightly, but I could tell he was still tense, his marine training kicking in full force. "And miss even a second of being out in this death trap, not a chance." I snorted at him, conscious of the stiff note in his jab.

"Well you survived one death trap," I remarked gesturing vaguely at the Samson powering down a few metres away. "Surely you can survive one more just as easily."

He grinned lightly at my words, taking the attempt at comfort for what it was before Grace was calling for us to move. We wandered through the forest, Jake taking the lead as our so-called 'escort'. He was high strung, swinging his gun in every which direction at even the slightest hint of danger. I ignored him for the most part content to gaze around at my surroundings in wonder.

There was a prickling feeling on the back of my neck, a sign that we were being watched by something but I pressed on. Grace was calm and relaxed, she'd been here far longer than the rest of us so if she wasn't worried then I saw no reason to be. Besides I was too enraptured by the pureness of the energy flowing through the air that I couldn't focus on the uncomfortable feeling for long.

A high pitched cooing broke the quiet atmosphere of the forest and I glanced up into the trees to see where it was coming from. A group of prolemuris were swinging by, the strange monkey-like creatures were a vivid cyan blue in colour with bright yellow markings and the customary six appendages that most species on Pandora seemed to possess. I smiled softly at the adorable creatures noting that even though the four main limbs seemed to start as two and then branch out they all functioned independently to one another.

I was brought out of my internal musings hearing Grace talk to Jake. "Prolemuris, they're not aggressive. Relax marine, you're making me nervous," as if to prove her point she put her hand on the muzzle of his rifle and pushed it down towards the ground. She took the lead from then on, forcing Jake to be a little warier about where he pointed his weapon.

We pushed through the dense foliage and into a clearing where a rundown old shack stood. Grace strode confidently up towards the doors of the building that looked as if it would collapse at any second and the others followed suit. I hesitated at the edge of the clearing, something terrible had happened here, you could feel it in the air, in how the energy seemed to dim slightly the closer I got to the hut. It left me feeling cold and empty as if the forest was grieving for ones it had lost it. I didn't like it one bit.

Grace called Norm over to take a soil sample from somewhere inside the building, apparently, the soil in this area was affected by the stingbats nesting in the roof. I stopped in the doorway, the rotting wood creaking unsteadily under my feet.

"The kids were so bright. Eager to learn. They picked up English faster than I could teach it to them." Grace had a nostalgic smile on her face, staring down at an old worn-out copy of _The Lorax_. "I keep hoping someone will come back and read them."

"Why don't they come back?" Norm's curiosity was apparently not welcome at that moment because Grace shut down, the light smile giving way to a stony frown. "The Na'vi learned as much about us as they needed to know." Her tone was grim and had an air of finality to it, it was clear she wasn't going to be answering any more questions.

The room felt cold and dark, even though it was lit just as brightly as the rest of the forest was. It felt like death. I pulled my eyes away from Grace for just a moment, glancing over at where Jake was scrutinising the blackboard. My stomach lurched violently at the circular protrusions in the surface, bullet holes. I backed up slightly out of the room, my ears pressed flat against my head in horror. What kind of sick person would shoot up a school? Now it made so much sense why the relations between the humans and the natives had gone so far downhill. If what I think happened actually did happen then I could not fault the Omaticaya for their hostilities against us.

I wandered away from the building, eager to put as much distance between me and the oppressive building as possible. I heard what must have been Jakes voice asking a question because the next moment Grace is hissing out, "Are you going to help us with the gear? We've got a lot to do."

It finally made sense why Grace brought us so far away from the base. We were new faces and with that, there was a chance that the Omaticaya would come out and speak with us. It was a fools chance but it was obvious that Grace held a lot of love for the Omaticaya and the students she had taught, if there was any chance we could rekindle relations with the tribe she'd take it.

They packed up all their gear quickly, Grace continuing to lead us further into the forest. My heart had lightened somewhat as we moved away from the school building but the knowledge of what had happened there, the cold emptiness of the surrounding energy, was seared into my brain.

She stopped us at one of the many trees in the area where the roots were just visible enough above ground for us to take some samples. We all started unloading our gear, taking care to place down anything sensitive with care. Jake stood bored at our backs, not at all interested in any of the 'science mumbo jumbo' the rest of us were doing. Grace placed the needle-like probe at the junction where the roots of two separate trees connected and slowly pushed it in. Instantly the screen lit up with bioelectric signals passing from tree to tree. A soft gasp escaped my mouth at the incredible sight as Norm whispered, "Wow, it's that fast!" Grace giggled at the both of us clearly pleased with our reactions and started explaining the physics behind it.

Norm pulled out a tube ready to take a sample of the root for further analysis when I spied Jake wandering away from our group. "Jake," I called gently trying to get him to stay with the group but he was too focused on his surroundings to pay my voice any mind. Grace shot an exasperated look in his direction and moved to stand up but I put a hand on her bicep, "I'll get him, you know what to do with the sample better than I do." She nodded gratefully before turning back to direct Norm in his work. I wandered away from the pair looking for my rogue best friend, I knew he was bored so I couldn't really blame him for wandering off. Science had never been his thing.

I found Jake standing in a grove of bright spiral like plants that were just taller than him. I smirked as he reached forward to touch one, the plant dropping down towards the ground with a soft SHOONK. He gasped looking back towards where Grace and Norm were but spied me instead. I smiled gently at him moving out into the grove. "Helicoradians, they don't like being touched," I whispered conspiratorially at him the smile remaining plastered on my face. He turned back around moving further into the group of plants to touch another one. It dropped at his touch, just the same as the first one and he chuckled happily at it. I chuckled along with him before starting to talk, "just be careful, if you tap too many at once they all-" he touched the wrong one and suddenly all our cover disappeared revealing a massive Hammerhead Titanothere. "Disappear," I muttered softly, my blood turning to ice in my veins. I ducked to stand behind him as he lifted his weapon at the surprised animal, the most logical choice seeing as I was very much defenceless.

My heart thundered in my chest and I couldn't quite keep the waver out of my voice, "Jake, don't shoot, his armour is too thick if he comes at us the gun isn't going to do a thing." The Hammerhead started pawing at the ground, swinging the large hammer-like protrusion on the front of its head from side to side, the bark from the trees splintering as they were hit. I cowered slightly behind Jake, unsure what to do in this situation.

Thankfully Grace noticed their predicament and her voice flooded over the comm, "Kida's right Jake the armour is too thick. It's a territorial threat display do not shoot or he'll charge." There was a distinctly worried edge in her voice betraying the seriousness of the situation.

"So what am I supposed to do? Dance with it?" Jake called back indignantly, his inability to act seeming to get to him.

"Just hold your ground," she replied calmly and Jake let out a harsh breath before dropping his aim.

The Hammerhead trumpeted loudly, pawing at the ground before pushing off heading straight towards us. Jake, being the idiot that he was, ran towards it, yelling like a madman as he tried to intimidate the animal that was at least four times his size. "Jake!" I yelled out in fear, what the hell was he thinking?

Miraculously the animal stopped just metres before my best friend with a screech, the featherlike crest on its head flattening from its raised position. Jake began to taunt the animal, the adrenaline running wild in his system completely oblivious to the frightened look the animal was not directed at him. The Hammerhead continued to look past him letting out one more frightened wail as it turned and bolted back towards its herd.

I stood frozen as dread began to pool in my stomach, even if Jake had managed to stop it charging with his idiocy there was no way it saw him as enough of a threat to turn tail and run as it had. As if to prove my point a soft snarl sounded in my ear accompanied by a warm puff of air breezing over the back of my neck. I could see the terrified look on Grace's face from the corner of my eye as my anxiety heightened but it skyrocketed when Jake turned back to look at me. Any proud and self-satisfied expression that may have been on his face dropped off and his ears pinned down on his head in fear.

I cowered with a squeak as it roared loudly in my ear, pouncing over both Jake and I as it moved towards the herd. As soon as I got a look at the creature I wished I hadn't. Dark leathery skin that blended seamlessly in with the surrounding foliage. A sleek body that was catlike in appearance with six strong legs and a plethora of poisonous spikes protruding out of fan-like appendages on its neck. Its teeth were black and razor-sharp, lips peeled back in a snarl as it turned back around to face us. This was a Thanator or a Palulukan as the Na'vi called them, the fiercest predator to be faced on land.

The fear bled to adrenaline as it roared at us getting ready to pounce. "Run Jake! Run!" I yelled grabbing him by his backpack and urging him along behind me. We thundered through the bush tucking in and around tree roots to try and slow the predator down. Jake grabbed my wrist pulling me down under a root system just as the Thanator caught up. It scratched and clawed at the area we'd entered trying to find purchase on some part of our bodies so it could pull us back out. Jake shuffled me further along and around the base of the tree, pointing the muzzle of his gun at the attacking animal as I looked for another way out. It bit into the root that was protecting us snapping it clean in two and Jake began to empty his clip, hoping blindly that he'd hit something vital. The thanator was smart though ducking out of sight for a moment before reaching in and pulling the gun from Jakes grasp.

I scrambled out of an opening screaming furiously for him to follow. Jake lost a few precious seconds as he struggled to get his footing as he crawled out from under the tree. In just a few seconds the thanator had caught up pouncing on him and knocking him face-first into the ground.

I screamed as he fell, completely helpless to do anything but watch as he was gripped by his backpack and flung around like a rag doll. I would later thank his marine training for his quick thinking skills under pressure when he reached down to undo the buckle on his pack.

He struggled for purchase on the moist ground before taking off towards me, screaming at me to keep moving. We sprint forward wildly the pounding footsteps of the thanator hot on our tail and I barely have a chance to register the thundering of the waterfall before we go flying off the cliff. An angry wail echoes in my ears and I can almost feel the breeze of the thanators' claws as they brush past my shirt before I'm plunging into the murky darkness of the water below.


End file.
